


Brave Beginnings

by pollypocket159



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Drarry, Fluff, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Please read thank you, Slow Build, Slow Burn, it's cute i promise, slow burn?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2018-12-18 20:05:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11881845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pollypocket159/pseuds/pollypocket159
Summary: There exists a force on Earth that will destroy anything it comes in contact with. It has the power to create, then bring about horrible destruction. It can toss you up, then neglect to catch you, it'll drive you mad trying to get it to work with you, but it's like it has a mind of its own. This force is so powerful it can overcome any barriers, with such force that they will shatter into a million tiny pieces. It neglects any emotions you may feel, barging ahead and forging new paths for you that you are forced to take. Some people say it's the best force in the universe, while others have had their lives ruined. Love.During their final year at Hogwarts, Draco and Harry discover things about each other and themselves that they didn't necessarily want to know, but something more than a night terror lurks in the twisting corridors of Hogwarts school.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for clicking my fanfic open :D
> 
> This is my first fanfic ever so I hope you enjoy it! Sorry if this first chapter seems a bit short, I was gonna make these chapters longer but I think I'll just end up having more chapters that are shorter with more frequent updates idk.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter, as great as that would be, J.K. Rowling does.

Harry stands on Platform 9 ¾, his trunk in one hand, the other dangling by his side, where normally he would hold Hedwig’s cage. He swallows the lump in his throat, remembering the snowy white owl that served as his companion for seven years. It feels strange returning to Hogwarts without her. Though, Harry thinks, nothing about this year is going to be normal. Looking around, he notices that King’s Cross has significantly less people than last year, many students or their parents being casualties of the war. He reaches up to touch his scar, thinking about all the sacrifices that were made so that he could defeat Voldemort.

“Does it hurt?” a little voice asks behind him. Harry turns and comes face to face with Dennis Creevey. His eyes are sunken in and his skin pale. He looks like he hadn’t slept in months. Harry’s jaw clenches, remembering the Creevey brothers and their naïve smiles as they followed him around the school, eagerly trying to get his autograph. Colin never deserved it. His 13 year old brother definitely didn’t deserve to have his older sibling and role model snatched away from with.

“No,” says Harry, dropping his hand, “it hasn’t hurt since…” he trails off, clearing his throat. “Did you, er, have a good summer?” asks Harry, immediately inwardly cringing. How could he ask that? How could he pretend like anyone’s summer this year could be anything but full of grief and misery?

“It was good.” replies Dennis simply. An awkward silence falls between them, broken a few moments later by the arrival of Hermione.

“Hey Harry!” she calls as she approaches, dragging her trunk along behind her, Crookshanks in his cat carrier secured safely to her trunk. Harry feels another twinge of sadness at Hedwig’s absence.

“Hi, Hermione” Dennis says, looking at her with a weak smile, “Are you coming back to Hogwarts then this year as well?”

“As any sensible student would.” Hermione replies with a warm smile, “Hello Dennis.” She turns back to Harry. “Have you seen Ronald?” She asks.

“What about me?” asks Ron, walking up and giving his girlfriend a kiss, “Hey mate. How are things?”

Dennis smiles weakly at the trio, mumbles something like “I’ll leave you three to it then” and turns to board the express, his schoolbag slung over his shoulder and trunk clattering along behind him. Harry turns to Ron and Hermione to make a remark about Dennis’s current state of mind, only to find Hermione already lecturing an exasperated-looking Ron on the importance of this school year. With a sigh, Harry turns and decides to look around for familiar faces.

Scanning the crowd, Harry’s gaze locks on a tall slender figure with white blond hair holding a shorter curvier woman in a tight embrace. He’s got his school bag sitting on the ground leaning against his trunk and looks like he would rather do anything than to leave his mother to go back to Hogwarts.

The Malfoys.

Harry barely even recognizes the duo without their usual House-of-Malfoy pride oozing from every pore. Now, Narcissa looks close to tears as her only son reluctantly says goodbye. Finally pulling away from the embrace, Malfoy gives his mother a brief kiss and turns to board the train.

“Harry,” says Ron right by his ear, making the boy jump, “we’re boarding the train.”  
Harry nods, and together with his two best friends, he clambers aboard the Hogwarts Express.

***

Draco grabs a handrail above his head as the train lurches forward, marking the beginning of his final trip to Hogwarts. He didn’t want to return this year, but the Ministry had made him, additionally deciding to let him and his mother walk free under the condition that they underwent a program that helped witches and wizards connect to muggles.

The program was created for former Death Eaters like him and his mother who, though they had the Dark Mark, were found innocent by the Wizengamot. Every month he and the others in the program had a task they had to complete. He wonders what his first task would be. He starts making his way down the train to where Pansy promised him she would sit. As he slides into the next train car, he hears familiar voices.

“-wouldn’t want that to happen of course, our hero wouldn’t want to be associated with SLYTHERINS.” says a voice that sounds suspiciously like Blaise Zabini. As he walks closer, he sees that it IS indeed Blaise, leaning into someone’s compartment.

“Leave him alone!” Granger’s voice sounds from inside.

“That’s not true at all!” sounds Potter’s voice next. Draco walks up and pulls Blaise out into the hallway, who smirks at him.

“Go sod off, Blaise, stop terrorizing the inferior” he says, shoving the other boy away. Blaise stares at Draco for a few moments, then turns and walks away. Draco turns to look inside the compartment where Weasley, Granger and Potter sit and locks eyes with Potter. Potter looks terrible. It’s obvious that he hadn’t been eating properly; he’s skinnier than Draco remembered, and his muscles that he formed over the years playing Quidditch stand out rather obviously with the lack of proper nutrients. He had also obviously not been getting enough sleep- the circles under his eyes are darker than the skin of a theresal.

Draco suddenly becomes aware of the fact that he’s staring; he gives a short nod of his head in the general direction of the trio and turns to walk further down the train.

***

“What the hell was that on about?” Ron asks after Malfoy has left their compartment and Hermione has gotten up to close the door. Harry’s still staring at the place where Malfoy had been.

“What was that look?” Harry asks, turning his attention back to his friends, “It was like he knew something we didn’t” Ron looks at him skeptically as he sits back down.

“Harry he looked at you fine. Maybe he was just not used to seeing you after you defeated Voldemort and ruined his family’s reputation.” Hermione says, “Don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah, let’s not start another year of ‘Malfoy this’ and ‘Malfoy that’. We’ve had seven years of listening to such.” says Ron, rolling his eyes.

“I don’t talk about Malfoy THAT mu-” Harry starts to say, but stops when Ron snorts.

“Mate, you have literally tripped over things because you were watching Malfoy on the Marauders Map” says Ron.

“Harry, it’s honestly fine. I doubt the Slytherins will be planning on doing anything this year, considering that most of the school will probably turn their back on them,” says Hermione, taking Ron’s hand and smiling when he put it on her knee, “just focus on your studies and you’ll be good to go.” Harry stares at his friends who have immediately started bickering over the importance of this year again.

“I’m going to go find Ginny” he says quietly and slips out of the compartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks again for reading :) I'm excited for the next chapter because I want to include a little more Drarry interaction which is what you came here for 
> 
> Tell me if I should do Luna and Ginny, Ginny and Neville, or Neville and Luna because I can't decide :/
> 
> Thanks again for reading I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2

Harry finds Ginny in a compartment with Neville and Luna, already in their uniforms and discussing Animagi.

“I don’t know, I just don’t really think that carrying around a Mandrake leaf in your mouth for an entire mouth is practical at all. What if you swallow it? Is it worth it?” says Ginny who is leaning against the window, her feet propped up on her trunk separating her from Neville, watching Luna draw patterns in the air with her wand.

“Swallowing the leaf of a Mandrake isn’t harmful, just-” Neville begins, but stops when Harry opens the compartment door and slips inside, “oh hi, Harry!”

“Hello” Harry mutters, walking over, giving Ginny a quick kiss, thinking that that’s probably what a girl wants from her boyfriend. He sits down next to Luna, who smiles at him. Harry looks over at Ginny, who has turned to Neville to listen to his explanation as to why swallowing a Mandrake leaf is not necessarily harmful and what symptoms one could experience after swallowing one.

“How was your summer, Harry?” Luna asks with a smile that tells Harry it’s ok to tell her what’s really on his mind. He sighs.

“Not good. I keep having these nightmares about Voldemort killing everyone I know. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, my parents, Lupin, Sirius, you, Neville, Dean and Seamus… even Malfoy! I wake up in a cold sweat most nights, terrified for the life of everyone I know. I think it’s because I constantly feel guilty for everyone's losses and sacrifices, just so I could kill Voldemort!” Harry says, feeling a tiny butterfly of weight lift off his chest at uttering his insecurities out loud.

“It think you’re just afraid of losing loved ones,” says Luna, placing her hand on Harry’s shoulder comfortingly, “and feel sad over your losses.”

“You think I’m scared of losing loved ones?” Harry asks, bewildered, “What about Malfoy?”

Luna just smiles.

“What about Malfoy? asks Ginny, joining their conversation, “Do you think he’s up to something again?”

“No, I…” Harry responds, avoiding Ginny’s gaze, “it’s nothing. I was just telling Luna about… about a dream that I had.” he continues awkwardly. Smooth. Real smooth. Ginny raises her eyebrows in mock question, a grin playing at her lips.

“A dream about Malfoy? Should I be worried?” she asks, and Neville snorts.

“What? No!” exclaims Harry. An image of Malfoy smirking at him mockingly passes through his mind making Harry cringe. Neville laughs at his apparently shocked facial expression.

“I’m just pulling your leg. I don’t actually…” Ginny says, suddenly serious “actually, Harry, can I talk to you for a moment? There’s something we need to talk about.”

“Uh, yeah. What’s up?”

“I meant… alone?” Ginny says, taking a lock of her hair and twirling it around her finger.

“Um… yeah, sure” Harry responds and stands up, leading the pair of them out into the hallway. He turns and looks at Ginny expectantly. She takes a deep breath.

“So… I wanted to talk about… us.” she says, looking him in the eye.

“How there’s no way in hell we’d ever work out? Yeah I wanted to talk about that too, actually.” replies Harry, rubbing the back of his neck. Ginny’s eyes widen.

“Really? Why didn’t you say anything?” she demands.

“I didn’t want to break your heart. I didn’t know when would be the best time to bring it up.” he responds.

“Well thank God this isn’t gonna be some big awkward messy breakup, then! Friends?” Ginny asks, sticking her hand out with a relieved smile. Harry takes it, grinning.

“Friends,” he responds.

“Hey, now anytime someone asks about us, we should totally pretend to be super uncomfortable and awkward about the fact that we broke up and see their reaction. It’ll be so funny!” Ginny suggests with a mischievous grin that Harry recognizes as the one he had seen one too many times on Fred and George. Fred…

“All right.” Harry responds with a smile.

“Well, well, well,” a voice calls from behind Ginny. She turns around and the two of them come face to face with Zabini.

“So the Weasley girl is no longer dating the Savior. Best be careful, now, Potter,” he says, arching an eyebrow, “you’ll have girls lining up to kiss your ass and win over your heart soon enough.”

“Why do you care?” Ginny snaps, taking a step forward defensively.

“Oh, no reason. I’m just worried about all the attention Potter will have once he enters the school.” replies Zabini cooly.

“Why, you jealous?” Ginny asks, raising an eyebrow mockingly.

“No,” he says, turning his head and looking at Harry, a smirk playing at his lips, “but I know someone who will be.” Harry opens his mouth to ask who, his eyebrows raised, but suddenly the door at the end of the car opens, and the trolley witch emerges, pushing her cart out in front of her.

“Anything from the trolley?” She calls out, making her way down the corridor towards them.

“Two pumpkin pasties, please,” Zabini tells the witch, handing her twelve silver sickles and receiving two carefully wrapped pasties. He flashes Ginny and Harry a grin, and walks briskly back to where Harry assumes the Slytherin’s compartment is.

“What a dick,” Ginny mutters after they’ve both gotten something for lunch from the trolley, “Seriously, what’s his deal? Why can’t he leave you alone this year?”

“I guess that’s just the way he is,” Harry responds, “always trying to get under my skin. I hope he’s wrong though.” He says once they’ve entered their compartment.

“Who’s wrong about what?” Neville asks, looking up from his Herbology textbook as they walk in, glancing back and forth between the two of them.

“Zabini. He said that I better prepare myself for all the girls wanting to get in my pants this year. I hope he’s wrong.” Harry responds, sitting down and absentmindedly picking at the wrapper of his treacle tart.

“Well hopefully,” Neville says with a chuckle and a glance at Ginny, “you’ll only have to worry about one girl trying to get into your pants.” Ginny glances down at her lap, and so does Harry, folding his hands together awkwardly.

“Yeah, um, about that…” Ginny says, giving off a nervous giggle, “Harry and I… we… we just broke up.”  
Harry spares a glance at Neville, whose face has gone red as a beet and resists the urge to bust out laughing. A quick look in Ginny’s direction confirms that she’s shaking with suppressed laughter too.

“Oh, shoot, I’m, uh,” Neville stutters, the embarrassment on his face evident as he nervously scratches the back of his head, “I didn’t know…”  
Ginny busts out laughing, and so does Harry, both of them marveling at Neville’s bewildered facial expression.

“We were just kidding! We wanted to see the look on your face!” Ginny says in between roars of laughter, “I mean we really did break up but it’s totally chill, it was like a mutual agreement thing.”

“You were right, that WAS funny!” Harry exclaims, wiping the tears from his eyes. Luna smiles at Ginny but says nothing.

“Oh, come on, guys, you could’ve given me a heart attack!” Neville complains, clutching his heart, “don’t ever pull something like that on me again!”

“No promises,” Harry says, grinning, “also, if you were gonna get something from the trolley, you’re gonna have to go catch up,” he reminds Neville, breaking into a new fit of laughter with Ginny when Neville dashes out the door with a panicked expression on his face.


	3. A/N

Hey guys!

So I feel like I owe y'all an apology for not posting all year. I'm very sorry!

I got MAJOR writers block, strangely enough, even though I was really looking forward to writing this third chapter. Then also school started stressing me out, I joined the all-school play, and then worked really hard at getting my heart broken by yet another guy :) I was really busy mentally and super emotionally occupied this semester because of so many things going on, and this fic kinda got pushed back to the far recesses of my brain. Recently, however, I picked up reading Drarry fics again and, now that school is almost over (one more week!) and my heart has healed after pouring time and energy into someone who didn't care, I felt bad for leaving this. So I PROMISE I'm not abandoning this fic because Drarry for LIFE! Seriously, it's my number one OTP and I'm really excited for how this story turns out :)) stay tuned guys, I'm picking back up where I left off, and hopefully this summer I'll get into a habit of writing more.

I appreciate your support, and sorry again!!!

Polina :)


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